Art History exam

Nave

the central area of a church w

here the congregation sits

Apse

a semicircular area at the end of a church, often containing the altar

Narthex

the entrance hall or lobby at the front of a church

Bimah

the raised platform in a synagogue where the Torah is read

Nimbus

a halo or circle of light around a holy figure’s head in art

Bailey

the courtyard enclosed by the walls of a castle

Catacombs

underground burial tunnels used by early Christians

Relics

physical remains or objects associated with saints or holy people

Squelch

to silence or suppress something (often used figuratively)

Pendentive

a curved triangular section that supports a dome over a square space

Encaustic painting

painting with pigments mixed with hot wax

Cloi

sonné

a decorative technique using metal strips filled with enamel

Diptych

a work of art made of two panels that are usually hinged together

Scriptorium

a room in a monastery where monks copied manuscripts

Westwork

the monumental western entrance section of a church with towers

Cloister

a covered

walkway surrounding a courtyard in a monastery

Illuminated manuscript

a handwritten book decorated with gold, color, and illustrations

Stained glass

colored glass used to create images in church windows

Buon fresco

painting on wet plaster so the pigment becomes part of the wall

Secco fresco

painting on dry plaster

Ambulatory

a walkway that circles around the apse or altar area of a church

Radiating chapels

small chapels that extend outward from the ambulatory

Keep

the main fortified tower of a castle

Trumeau

the central pillar supporting the lintel in a church doorway

Tympanum

the semicircular decorative area above a doorway

Baldachin

a canopy placed over an altar or throne

Historiated capitals

column tops carved with figures that tell a story

Ribbed vaulting

a ceiling structure made of intersecting ribs that support the vault

Transverse arch

an arch that runs across a nave and separates sections of the vault

Tempera

paint made by mixing pigment with egg yolk

Rose window

a large circular stained glass window with radiating patterns

Fan vault

a decorative vault with ribs spreading out like a fan

Trefoil arch

an arch shaped like three overlapping circles

Flying buttress

an external support that transfers the weight of a roof or wall outward

Fleur-de-lis

a stylized lily symbol often associated with French royalty

Predella

the base section of an altarpiece with small painted scenes

Carolingian minuscule

a clear, standardized style of handwriting developed in the Carolingian period

Intaglio

a printing technique where the design is carved into a surface

Woodcut

a printmaking technique where an image is carved into wood

Guild

an association of craftsmen or merchants who controlled their trade

Foreshortening

a technique that makes objects appear shorter to create depth

Illusionistic painting

painting that creates the realistic illusion of three-dimensional space

Di sotto in su

a painting technique that shows figures from below to create the illusion they are above the viewer

**Symbols in Christian and Jewish art

** Visual images that represent religious ideas, such as the cross for Christianity or the Star of David and menorah for Judaism.

peacock meaning

immortality ressurction and paradise of afterlife

**Iconoclasm

** The destruction or rejection of religious images, especially during periods when people believed images were sinful or idolatrous.

fish

jesus christ

**Byzantine Empire

** The eastern continuation of the Roman Empire centered in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), lasting from about 330 to 1453.

anchor

steadfast, safety, hop

**Great Schism

** The split in 1054 between the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East, which led to differences in artistic styles and religious practices.

the good shepherd

Jesus

**Elements of Byzantine painting (the “F words”)

** Flat, Frontal, Floating, and Figures with large eyes—stylized characteristics emphasizing spirituality over realism.

the dove

funerary symbol. peace of the sould

**Andrei Rublev

** A famous Russian icon painter known for deeply spiritual religious images, especially icons of the Trinity.

**Orant figure

** A figure shown standing with arms raised in prayer, symbolizing devotion and communication with God.

**Pantokrator pose

** An image of Christ shown as the all-powerful ruler and judge, often holding a book and raising one hand in blessing.

**Mozarabic art

** A style of Christian art created in Muslim-controlled Spain that combines Christian and Islamic artistic influences.

**Charlemagne

** A powerful medieval ruler who promoted education, Christianity, and the revival of art and architecture during the Carolingian Renaissance.

Cimabue

Used Chiaroscuro. Transition from Byzantine style.

**Doors of Bishop Bernward

** Bronze church doors in Germany that show scenes from the Bible, comparing the lives of Adam and Eve with the life of Christ.

Giotto Di Bondone

Made figures look real, used emotion and space, drew from line models, father of pictoral art.

**Pilgrimage

** A religious journey to a sacred place made to show devotion, seek healing, or gain spiritual forgiveness.

Duccio Di Buoninseguna

Combined realism and decoration.

Siena art.

**Crusades

** Religious wars that increased cultural exchange between Europe and the Middle East, bringing new artistic ideas, materials, and technologies.

van Eyck

As well as I can.
Became court painter to Philip the Good in 1425; especially

skilled at pectoral illusions.

**Romanesque architecture

** A medieval architectural style characterized by thick walls, rounded arches, small windows, heavy stone construction, and fortress-like appearance.

Donatello

Influenced by art of the ancient world.

**Bayeux Tapestry

** A long embroidered cloth that depicts the events leading up to and including the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Botticelli

Originally painted religious scenes but later

concentrated on mythological subject matter.

**Gothic (term origin)

** A name first used as an insult during the Renaissance, referring to the Goths, whom people considered barbaric.

Mantegna

used Di Sotto in su

**Goals of Gothic architecture

** To create tall, light-filled buildings that inspired awe and brought people closer to God.

Fra Fillipo Lippi

**Pointed arch

** An architectural feature that distributes weight more efficiently, allowing buildings to be taller and have larger windows.

Brunelleschi

Through study of Greek and Roman art he discovered

the principle of linear perspective. Built the dome in Florance

**Giorgio Vasari

** An Italian artist and writer who documented the lives of Renaissance artists and helped shape the idea of the Renaissance as a rebirth of classical art.

**Abbot Suger

** A French church leader who pioneered Gothic architecture at the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis and emphasized light as a symbol of God.

**Capitalism in the Early Renaissance

** The growth of trade and banking created wealthy merchants who funded art and architecture.

**Stylistic and technological changes of the Early Renaissance

** Greater realism, use of perspective, study of anatomy, classical influence, and improved artistic techniques.

**Oil paint

** A painting medium that dries slowly, allows blending of colors, and creates rich detail and realistic textures.

**Northern European Early Renaissance art

** Known for extreme detail, realistic textures, oil painting, and careful observation of everyday life.

**Linear perspective

** A mathematical system for creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface using vanishing points

**Patron

** A person or organization that financially supports an artist.

**Jan van Eyck

** A Northern Renaissance painter famous for detailed oil paintings and realistic textures.

**Donatello

** An Italian sculptor who revived classical sculpture and created realistic human figures.

**Sandro Botticelli

** An Italian painter known for graceful figures and mythological scenes.

**Andrea Mantegna

** An Italian artist known for dramatic perspective and classical influence.

**Fra Filippo Lippi

** An Italian painter known for delicate figures and emotional religious scenes.

**Filippo Brunelleschi

** An architect who developed linear perspective and designed the dome of Florence Cathedral.

**Medici family

** A powerful banking family in Florence who funded artists and played a major role in the Renaissance.

**Humanism

** A Renaissance philosophy that emphasized the value, potential, and achievements of human beings, inspired by the study of ancient Greek and Roman culture.